Rail anchor



b I d une 30, 1931. 1,812,414

- RAIL eats-Sheet 1 ANCHOR iled March 1. 1930 C. B. SHEPHERD RAIL ANCHOR Patented June 30, 1931 "UNITED STATES CHARLES B. SHEPHERD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOB TO THE P & M COMPANY, A

PATENT OFFIOE CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS RAIL ANCHOR Application filed March 1,

My invention relates to rail anchoring devices adapted to grip a portion of a railroad rail and engage a stationary part of the roadbed to prevent longitudinal creeping 5 movement of said rail.

One of the several objects of the invention is to provide an improved anchor device which may be applied to the base portion of a rail fromone side thereof by forcing the anchor device transversely of the rail into gripping engagement with opposite edges of said base. In this connection I aim to providea oneepiece anchor which is so formed as to permit the anchor to be applied to rails having base flanges of diflerent widths and thicknesses without subjecting the flexible portions of the anchor to excessive distortion when the anchor is applied to over-sized rails and at the same time insure a firm spring grip when the anchor is applied to rails of smaller standard size.

Another object is to provide a rail anchor in which the flexible portion of the device is I disposed transversely of the anchor and is so proportioned with relation to a relatively rigid part of the anchor that the major portion of the grip of the device is produced by movement of the flexible portion vertically of-the relatively rigid portion by forcing the device into gripping engagement with the inclined upper'surface of the rail base.

A further object is to provide a one-piece anchor formed to provide a depending tie abutment at one end of the device, which abutment is so formed as to contact Withthe tie at a substantial distance below the upper surface thereof and also includes the relatively rigid and relatively flexible portions of the anchor.

My invention contemplates the arrangement of the rigid and flexible portions in such position relative to each other that the distortion of the flexible portion, during application of the anchor and the tendency which it has to resume the position from which it was sprung, presses the other end of the anchor upwardly and maintains it in looking engagement with the opposite edge of the rail base. In this connection, the rigid and flexible portions of the anchor are so ar- 1930. Serial No. 432,419.

ranged and proportioned that pressure of the tie abutment downwardly against the ballast of the roadbed will not loosen the resilient grip of the iaw of the anchor on the rail base.

Various other objects of the invention will appear from a detailed description of the two embodiments shown in the drawings, and from the scope and terms of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 1s a side view of a rail anchor constructed in accordance with my invention showing the device applied in its operative position on the base portion of a railroad rail, the full line position. of the anchor indicating its normal applied position and the dotted line position indicating the relative position of the flexible part before it is applied to the base flange of the rail.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the anchor shown in Fig. 1 illustrating the manner in which it abuts against the vertical face or" the cross tie.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but illustrating the anchor in its initial position, that is to say, the position which it assumes before any appreciable transverse pressure is applied to force it to its operative posit-ion.

Fig. at is a plan view of the anchor, rail base and tie showing one position which the anchor may assume when the cross tie, for any reason, extends diagonally across the base flange of the rail.

Fig. 5 is a side view in elevation of a slightly modified construction illustrating the anchor device applied in its operative position on a rail base.

. Referring to the drawings, 10 designates the base portion of a railroad rail and 11 a cross tie or other stationary part of a roadbed on which the rail 10 is supported. The rail anchor, shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, consists preferably of a body portion 12 which extends across beneath the base of the rail and is formed at one end with a. port-ion 13 for engagement with a vertical edge portion of the rail base at one side of the rail and is formed at the other end with a resilient loop portion adapted to bear against the cross tie 11 and also provides resilient clamping means for gripping the top and bottom surfaces of the base flange of the rail. The loop portion of the anchor consists, preferably, of a downturned relatively rigid leg portion 14, the lower end of which is connected, by means of a curved portion 15, to a substantially horizontal portion 15a, Thep rt i n Riel-gees into the outwardly bowedvertical leg 15?) of the loop. The upper portion of the-outenleg- 1 59f the loss i f rm d with a ebstan y perpendicular portion 16, arran ed opposite the vertical edge 17 of the base ange; and a portion 18 which extends inwardly over the thickness of the base flange of the rail, whereit is'necessary to spread apart the surfaces 19 and 20 in applying the anchor to its applied position. Since the leg portion 14 of the loop is relatively rigid, the spreading of the surfaces 19 and'20 results in "an upward flexing of the portion 15a and the. outwardly bowed portion of the outer leg 15?) is straightened slightly, when the clamp end of the anchor is forced; to its gripping position. The length'of the latter portion 1500 may be varied and consequently varies the vertical flexibility of the loop. There is also an outward flexing ofthe leg 15?) of the looprelative to the ta s of' the Themajor portion of this outward flexing takes place in the outer leg itselfand at the bend 1 5.

No mally he r en. .6v a h r gi P "-v tion 14; at its j uncture with the body 12 are spaced apart so'that the lower corner 21 of the rail base will enter the space 22' during the application of the anchor to a rail and ereby a q d exce si e g. of h 1 The. bearing surface 20;, it will. he observed,

is located a point between the end of; jaw

18 and the. adjacent edge of the rail;- base.

The surface 20, therefore, serves as a fillcrum, about which the body 12 pivots during the movement of the jaw 18- upwardly on the rail base. Consequently the upwardlpressure on the jaw 18 presses the body firmly against the bottom of the rail and. holds the portion 13 in its locking position. The relatively rigid portion 14 takes themajor portion of the strain incident to the downward pressure of the loop against the ballast and consequently avoids the tendency which said pressure hasto loosen the grip of jaw 18 on the rail. 7

Theinward-movement of the aw 18 is resisted by the inclined top surface of'the rail base. Normally there is a slightclearance between the inner'face 23 and the edge 17: of the base. The transverse spring pressure,

resulting from/the tendency" which the loop has to resume thedotted line position-of Fig. 1-, exerts a vertical spring grip. between the surfaces 19- and 20 and alsoa transverse spring grip extending diagonally through the base of the rail from the surface 19 of the jaw to the surfaceQ of the locking shoulder.

-Under certain conditions the surface 23 of thelpop may be-niovedinto'gripping contact with the edge 1? of the base flange. Such condition is present when the cross tie extends diagonally across the rail, as. shown in Fig; 4;,or' when, for any reason, the anchor has been shifted to a position similar to that shown in Fig. 4, whereby the rear edgeof the surface 23 and the forward edge of the surface 24, having reference to their positions relative tothe tie 11, are moved into shack-l e gripping engagement with the opposite ver-ti'cal edge portions of the rail base.

In applying the anchor to arail, the jaw 18 is hooked ever one base flange of the rail in the position indicated- Fig. 8'. The position shown in this'figure represents the initial application of the device to arail that 'isto say, before anypressure, or at leastany substantial pressure has-been applied to force the anchor transversely of the rail. By striking the loop end of the anchor, orbyother means, imparting transverse movement of the anchor across the rail base, the jaw 18 will be raised. slightly relative to the surface 20. This raising is effected by the upward a fiexure of the portion 15a, a sligl it straigl'itening of the outwardly bowed l'eg 15b, and also by the outward flexing of the leg 15'?) relative to the edge of the rail, said outward flexing of the leg-15b being produced by rea clear the opposite edge of the'rait base ,-the

resiliencyof the loo portion of the anchor causes'the shoulder-13 to move upwardly into "engagementwith the vertical edge portion of the'ra-il base the spring action of: the loop also presses the surfaces 29 and 25 against" the bottomsurf-ace of the rail. 7 In the drawings have shown,thebo'dy-portion.12 bearingthrou-ghout itslength against the bottom "surface of the rail base. This construction may be varied by bowing the bodyportion 12 downwardly so as toconfine the engagementwith the base flange tothe points 20 and-25. I p

In Fig. 5 I have shown a slightly modified construction. In this modification-,: the loop portion'of the anchor, instead ofbeing provided with an angularly disposedrelatively rigid portion Mas shown in Figs;.1to 4t.in-

elusive, is madecircular, as indicated at 26 in;Fig-.- 5. Theportionsl 16a and the inner portion-of the body 12afarespaced apart to provideaspace 22a substantially asshown in the preceding figures. The upward; movementof j aw 18a: relative to the: bearing point 20w together with .the outward fiexi'ngQiriovement of the portion 26a, tensions the loop portion of the anchor. In other respects the modified anchor may be and preferably is the same in construction as the anchor illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive.

I claim:

1 A rail anchor comprising a body provided at one end with means for engagement with one edge of a rail base and at the other end with a clamp including an inwardly extending jaw bearing against the inclined top surface of the rail base at one side of therail, a depending vertically flexible portion connected to the jaw, a vertically disposed and relatively rigid portion connected with said vertically flexible portion and bearing against the bottom surface of the rail base at a location intermediate the end of said jaw and the adjacent edge of the rail base, the said rigid and vertically flexible portions being positioned to provide a space between them adapted to receive the lower corner of the base flange during the initial application of the anchor to the rail.

2. A rail anchor comprising a body provided at one end with means for engaging one edge of a rail base and at the other end with a combined tie abutment and clamping loop including an inwardly extending jaw bearing against the inclined top surface of the rail base, a depending outwardly bowed resilient portion connected to the jaw, and a vertically disposed relatively rigid portion bearing against the bottom surface of the rail base at a location beneath the jaw and united wit the lower end of said depending portion, the said rigid and resilient portions being positioned to provide a space adapted to receive the lowercorner of the base flange embraced during the application of the anchor to a rail.

3. A rail anchor comprising a body formed at one end with a shoulder for engaging the vertical edge portion of one flange of a rail base and at the other end with a resilient clamp for gripping the top and bottom surfaces of the other base flange; said clamp including a relatively rigid leg portion for engagement with the bottom surface of the rail base adjacent one edge thereof and a vertically flexible portion connected with said rigid portion and adapted to normally bear against the top surface of the base flange, the

distance between the top bearing of the clamp and the said shoulder, when the anchor is free of the rail, being normally less than the distance between the surfaces of the rail base engaged thereby, whereby distortion of the anchor in its applied position exerts a spring grip diagonally through the base of the rail from said top bearing to said shoulder.

4. A rail anchor comprising a bodyformed at one end with a shoulder for engaging the vertical. edge portion of one base flange of a rail and with an adjacent bearing for engagement with the bottom surface of the rail and formed at the other end with a resilient clamp for gripping the top and bottom surfaces of the other base flange; said clamp including a relatively rigid leg portion for engagement with the bottom of the rail base adjacent one edge thereof and a vertically flexible portion connected with said rigid leg and adapted to normally bear against the top surface only of the base flange, the distance between the top bearing of the clamp andthe said shoulder,

when the anchor is free of the rail, being normally less than the distance between the sur faces of the rail engaged thereby, whereby distortion of the anchor in its applied position exerts a spring grip diagonally through the base from said top bearing to said shoulder.

5. A rail anchor for gripping the marginal portions of opposite flanges of a rail base comprising a body portion extending subt.

end of said body; the distance between the body portion of the anchor and said jaw being normally less than the thickness of the rail base engaged thereby, whereby movement of the anchor to its applied position tensions said loop to exert a resilient clamping action between said jaw and body of the anchor.

CHARLES B. SHEPHERD. 

